Victoria became the fifth state in Australia to allow transgender and gender diverse people to change their sex on their birth certificate. This development came after the birth certificate bill passed 26-14 in the Victorian Upper House; meaning it will officially become law once it receives the royal assent, a formality.
Under the new law, transgender and gender diverse people will now have the freedom to have their legal documents reflect the sex they identify with socially even prior to undergoing gender affirmation surgery.
Photo by Joey Csunyo from Unsplash.com
For minors, the bill allows them to be able to self-nominate to change their gender or select a non-binary descriptor of their choice with permission from their parents. A statement from a psychologist or a doctor will also be needed to accompany the submission for a minor.
With this progressive law, Victoria joined Tasmania, Northern Territory, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in passing such a mandate.
